Finalists announced for best translated books
Poetry by the late Chilean author Roberto Bolano and fiction by best-selling Norwegian novelist Karl Ove Knausgaard are among the finalists for the Best Translated Book Awards. The post Finalists...
View ArticleTaking in the new technology with neither glee nor gloom
In this age of instant communication, I attract attention every time I attend a presscon with mostly young media people in attendance. The post Taking in the new technology with neither glee nor gloom...
View ArticleUniversity: Poet, author Maya Angelou dies at 86
Maya Angelou, who rose from poverty, segregation and the harshest of childhoods to become a force on stage, screen, the printed page and the inaugural dais, has died. She was 86. The post University:...
View ArticlePoet Maya Angelou remembered at memorial service
Maya Angelou liked to say that people will forget what you said or did in your life, but they will never forget how you made them feel. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, first lady Michelle Obama and...
View ArticleBalagtas honored with literary pilgrimage
In celebration of the 226th birthday of Francisco Balagtas Baltazar last April 2, the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) led writers, teachers and students on a literary pilgrimage to sites associated...
View ArticleKWF confab in Vigan tackles future of Ilocano language
Ilocanos have brought their language to different corners of the world, notably Hawaii where there’s an active branch of the Gunglo Dagiti Mannurat nga Ilokano iti Filipinas (Gumil) writers group. The...
View ArticleThe injustice to the cat
As exlained in the last episode, the cat is not included among the 12 animals in the zodiac. The rat had pushed the cat off the ox’s back on which they had both hitched a ride. And so the cat drowned....
View ArticleUST documents in ancient ‘baybayin’ script declared a National Cultural Treasure
Owing to their outstanding cultural value, two 17th-century baybayin documents from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Archives were recently declared National Cultural Treasure (NCT) by the National...
View ArticleKomisyon ng Wika embarks on ambitious publication program
In connection with the celebration of Buwan ng Wika (Language Month), Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) launched its publication series, Aklat ng Bayan, on Aug. 15 at the National Museum. The post...
View ArticleChina divided over the common language
Free-wheeling and business-oriented, the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou is a long way from Beijing physically, culturally and linguistically – and hackles have been raised by reports Communist...
View ArticleThe (unsuccessful) roasting of Gilda
I've never been to any “roasting,” literary or journalistic. I have no idea what goes on at occasions of that kind. The post The (unsuccessful) roasting of Gilda appeared first on Lifestyle.INQ.
View ArticleDebut fiction writer wins $25,000 Bingham Prize
The author of the story collection "Godforsaken Idaho" has won a $25,000 prize. The post Debut fiction writer wins $25,000 Bingham Prize appeared first on Lifestyle.INQ.
View ArticleWinners of Nobel Prize in literature since 1980
The 2014 Nobel Prize in literature will be announced Thursday by the Swedish Academy. Here is a list of previous winners of the award since 1980: The post Winners of Nobel Prize in literature since...
View ArticleYou say ‘lady’ I say ‘feudal slave’– Korea’s language divide
North and South Korea have never found dialogue easy, but academics from both sides currently meeting in Pyongyang are trying to steer things in the right direction by at least getting them to speak...
View ArticleLost words
Alila is a servant, later evolving into the more democratic katulong, ate, or the classier “maid.” Once I visited a gay friend whose also gay katulong opened the door, in a uniform and ruffled apron,...
View ArticleOpus Dei tutors Francis: English only, please
The “Vatican official” who is helping Pope Francis practice and polish his English for his apostolic visit to Sri Lanka and the Philippines next week is American Greg Burke, a former Time magazine and...
View ArticleLost words and phrases Part 5
Tagalog lessons from an English teacher. Oración. Six p.m., to Catholics before WWII, meant time for the oración or evening prayer. The church announced it to the neighborhood by the well-spaced...
View ArticleUS group: Foreign authors censored in China without knowing
WASHINGTON — A US-based advocacy group is warning Western authors to be vigilant of censorship of their work in China’s fast-growing book publishing industry, which is sometimes done without their...
View ArticleYour mileage may vary
If you are an old person, conservative and easily disturbed, please skip this column. It is about today’s unpalatable language of the young which is contrary to good manners and proper conduct....
View ArticleKids learn to pick veggies over chips at Read-Along
It's not easy to convince children to choose vegetables and fruits over sweets and junk food, but storytelling definitely helps. The post Kids learn to pick veggies over chips at Read-Along appeared...
View ArticleRaul Roco: ‘Best President PH never had’ immortalized in De Quiros book
A poignant hush fell over the crowd when Inquirer columnist Conrado de Quiros was wheeled into the room during the launch of De Quiros’ biography of the late Sen. Raul Roco, his friend of many years....
View ArticleKWF to launch new titles for National Language Month
The Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF) is holding a monthlong series of activities this August in connection with National Language Month or Buwan ng Wika. The post KWF to launch new titles for National...
View ArticleCarry mo?
I used to know English and I used to know Tagalog. Or so I thought. Now I’m lost when English is treated as Tagalog. Carry mo bang ano? Carry mong isuot—ano pa? Dare to wear mo ba, go against the...
View ArticleComedian Patton Oswalt remembers wife in touching essay
Comedian Patton Oswalt has authored a touching essay nearly two weeks after the unexpected death of his wife, crime writer Michelle McNamara. The post Comedian Patton Oswalt remembers wife in touching...
View ArticleWrite ‘old-fashioned’ letter, win P50, 000
THE PROJECT to revive the “old-fashioned” practice of impassioned letter writing has been launched this year by the Department of Education (DepEd), which urges students to send a letter of gratitude...
View ArticleScholastic: Championing literary in the PH
Aliteracy, the phenomenon of children choosing not to read despite being able to, is a cause for concern in many nations, including the Philippines. The loss of a reading habit among children is...
View ArticleAncient script finds new hope in the young
“Baybayin,” an ancient script popularly but erroneously known as “alibata,” has found unlikely support among today’s younger generation. The post Ancient script finds new hope in the young appeared...
View ArticleConversations close to the heart adorn walls in India, Pakistan
There is a wall mural in the compound of a rundown textile mill located in the Hindu-majority Mahalaxmi area of Mumbai that carries a haunting verse penned down by Urdu poet Muqtida Hasan Nida Fazli in...
View ArticleSexiest American accents for Europeans
Next time you're in Paris and needing to use a cafe bathroom, put on your best accent from the U.S. Deep South to raise your chances of being waved through. The post Sexiest American accents for...
View ArticleGender-bending, time-traveling pronouns: A history
NEW YORK (AP) — On college campuses and in workplaces, across social media and in deference to non-binary people, gender-neutral pronouns are more than just a new wave of political correctness. They’re...
View ArticleCould speaking native language at home boost IQ for bilingual children?
Children who spoke their native language at home and English at school scored better in the intelligence tests. The post Could speaking native language at home boost IQ for bilingual children? appeared...
View ArticleLost in translation: Papua New Guinea wins language Olympics
With 841 living tongues and a colorful creole lingua franca, Papua New Guinea is the undisputed world champion of linguistic diversity. The post Lost in translation: Papua New Guinea wins language...
View ArticleSmall shops in Japan boosting customer service in English
More small businesses in Japan, including restaurants and stores along shopping streets, have been making efforts to improve the quality of their foreign-language customer services. The post Small...
View ArticleManga adopted in Indonesia as tool for teaching Japanese
SUMEDANG, Indonesia — “Astroboy” and other manga works have been incorporated into Japanese classes that began in Indonesia last month for university students hoping to work in Japan. The post Manga...
View ArticleNo mere matter of language
Some say it’s all political trick, something planned, part of some strategy, and they point to his poll numbers to make the point that the coarseness of his language is part of his mass appeal. But,...
View ArticleBaybayin: Ancient Philippine script revival spells debate
With deliberate golden strokes, artist Taipan Lucero proudly brings an ancient script back to life, in the hope of promoting an endangered but contentious part of the Philippines' heritage. The post...
View ArticleA step toward globalization: Accepting Korean spoken with a foreign accent
SEOUL — When K-pop girl band (G) I-dle member Shuhwa, who hails from Taiwan, appeared on JTBC’s “Knowing Bros” in January, she expressed hopes of appearing on a South Korean talk show someday. However,...
View ArticleRita Avila laments Duterte’s habit of cussing: ‘We’re the receivers of this...
Being allergic to hearing cuss words, actress Rita Avila has started a challenge which she and her daughter took on – putting up a “mura box.” The post Rita Avila laments Duterte’s habit of cussing:...
View ArticleSpanish as language has waned in PH, but can make comeback
When I was growing up in Manila in the 1960s and ’70s, the Spanish language was no longer as vibrant as it had been in the prewar era, when Filipino poets such as Jesus Balmori or Fernando Maria...
View ArticleREVIEW: The app that got me speaking basic Deutsch after six months
In July of last year, I committed to learning German via a PHP2,990 annual subscription to Babbel. It’s my equivalent of making sourdough or adopting 10,000 plants. Today, I set my MacBook and iPhone...
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